Lakers Rule Out 2 Players Ahead of Highly Anticipated Season Opener

The 2026-27 NBA regular season officially gets underway for the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, with the team hosting the Golden State Warriors.

Although the majority of the new-look Lakers are healthy, there have been some injury concerns after the NBA preseason game to end for the storied franchise.

Lakers Rule Out Cameron Carr & Adou Thiero for Season Opener

Ahead of the season opener against the Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers officially ruled out two of their youngest players, with rookie Cameron Carr and second-year forward Adou Thiero set to miss the game against Golden State.

Fortunately, veteran newcomer Collin Sexton seems to be trending in the right direction, as he was listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game after missing the entire preseason due to a lower leg injury, which is now being called a right soleus strain.

Obviously, the main concern is with Carr and Thiero, as it remains to be seen how severe their injuries are. Carr is battling a right oblique strain, which is what Austin Reaves dealt with toward the end of last season, but that was a Grade 2 strain and the rookie’s injury might not be as serious.

As for Thiero, it’s unfortunate that his second season starts with an injury. The high flyer has struggled with injuries throughout his short NBA career, playing only 25 regular-season games in the 2025-26 campaign.

However, Thiero did play 12 games with the South Bay Lakers during his rookie season.

A knee effusion means there is fluid in or around Thiero’s left knee, which doesn’t sound great for a 22-year-old player who relies heavily on his athleticism.

Lakers’ Starting Lineup Remains a Mystery

The initial injury report has been released with three players dealing with ailments ahead of the season opener, but head coach JJ Redick’s starting lineup still remains a mystery.

Only three spots are locked in right now, which are obvious, with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler leading the way.

It'll be interesting to see which direction Redick goes in with the other two starting spots, as there are a few different scenarios he could experiment with. Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Matisse Thybulle are the likely candidates.

It's highly likely Redick won't disclose who will be in this starting lineup until he's requirement to submit that information before taking on the Warriors on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.